Joseph Massino, the former Bonanno boss-turned-mob rat, gave his view yesterday at the death-penalty proceedings for former underling and convicted racketeer and murderer Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano.

In a secretly recorded talk played for jurors, Basciano griped about prison life: “Washing your clothes is a f–king trip.”

Massino responded with unabashed directness: “I can’t wear the briefs. I got four pairs of boxers.”

The boxers-or-briefs dilemma embarrassed President Bill Clinton in 1992 when the question arose during an MTV-hosted town hall. “Usually briefs,” was his answer.

The underwear reference was a light moment in an otherwise deadly serious day featuring testimony by Massino about several alleged Basciano murder plots.

Massino testified that Basciano had schemes to kill federal Mafia-fighting prosecutor Greg Andres and a woman he suspected of telling his wife about his longtime girlfriend.

Basciano’s attorneys countered that none of these plots was carried out.